Chapter 115: Welcome back, mom.

Oki Archipelago, 10:00 am

After a long journey by plane, Lelouch, Cornelia and Rakshata returned to the black knight base camp, where Todoh, Dietard, Guinevere, Euphemia, Lord Villon for the grand duchy of Euro-Britannia, Hidenobu for the Kyoto House and Constance for Europia were waiting for them.

"What a nice welcome back committee ..." Rakshata commented, watching the scene from a window.

"Surely Todoh will want to know how the negotiations went." Guessed Lelouch, while wearing the mask of Zero.

"What will you tell him?" Cornelia asked him.

"The truth." He replied simply.


They got off the plane and headed for the welcome committee, if that could be called. At the sight of their princess Villon knelt, the others did not blink.

"Zero ... Were you able to meet the emperor?" Todoh asked.

"Yes ... And we discussed Japan's post-war status."

"Then?"

"He has said he is willing to an independent Japan, as long as Izu, a small archipelago off the coast of Honshu, is sold to him."

"What good is that archipelago to him?" Hidenobu asked.

"He gave no explanations. In addition, the black knights will have to participate in the liberation of the former Area 11, or they will not be able to make claims on it. "

"Nothing else?"

Zero let out a sigh.

"There is the question of sakuradite deposits. He did not mention it directly, but it is clear that if Japan regains independence it will have to sell to Britannia as well, which the late Kururugi government had stopped doing. "

"So let's recap: the independence of Japan in exchange for the participation of the order in its reconquest, the sale of the archipelago of Izu and the resumption of supplies of sakuradite."

"Exactly, Mr. Hidenobu."

"It's sure?" Todoh asked.

"Emperor Charles is not the type to take back his word."

"And when will the offensive begin?"

"I have no idea."

"What kind of answer is this?" The man of miracles was clearly irritated.

"At the moment the British army is engaged in the motherland and in Euro-Britannia to counteract the alien attacks. It is an immense front, which requires many soldiers and means. In addition, Charles states that we must drive the reptilians off European soil before opening new fronts.

"Are you saying that this offensive may never start?"

"I'm saying you have to be patient. The invaders control half the world, it will take years just to drive them out of Asia. As for Japan, even if we freed it now the aliens could reoccupy it starting from Korea and the Philippines, and we would have sacrificed time and men for nothing. "

Although annoyed, Todoh preferred not to argue.

"Did you have any problems during the trip?"

"Nothing, lord Villon, except for an assassination attempt on us by an alien mole."

"I'm glad, Princess Cornelia."

"Were there any problems during our absence?" Rakshata asked.

"A few hours ago a knight from Euro-Britannia arrived on the island. He asks for Zero and Cornelia. " Was Dietard's reply.

"Who is it?"

"You'll see for yourself, he says he wants to surprise you."

I hope it is not a maneuver ...

Lelouch thought, worried.

Cornelia glanced at her sisters, noting that they were nervous. In particular, Euphemia was tense, pale, she seemed to have met a ghost.

"Do you two know anything about it?"

"You won't believe me if you don't see it with your own eyes." Was Euphy's reply. This made the second imperial princess even more suspicious.

"Trust me, Cornelia ... You have to see her for yourself!" Guinevere, her half-sister, told her.

See her? So is the newcomer a she?

"Where now?"

"In your tent."

"Come on, Zero ... I really want to see this mystery woman in the face."

Having said this, she set off, closely followed by her stepbrother.


Meanwhile, Todoh had walked away from the group, evidently frustrated.

Damn ... On paper, Charles' offers are generous, however not knowing when Britannia will launch the offensive to liberate my homeland makes me nervous. As far as I know, it will take years for those overgrown lizards to be chased off Earth, and by then maybe Japan will only be an uninhabited archipelago left.

In all the occupied territories the reptilians had unleashed a veritable genocide against the local populations, aided by their advanced technology. It was not clear whether they wanted to completely eradicate the human presence from those regions or simply reduce it, but for sure the victims were already hundreds of thousands. At this rate there would be very little of Japan to save… And those who survived the ethnic cleansing would die during the liberation, in the clashes between human and alien forces. In essence, a dark future lay ahead for his nation, whatever the outcome of the war.


Cornelia and Lelouch had just arrived in front of her tent.

"Do you have any idea who it might be?" Her stepbrother asked her as he took off his mask.

"The only way to know is to go in and meet her." Replied the purple-haired girl.

Took courage they entered and as soon as they saw the newcomer, intent on sipping tea sitting at a table, they were stunned. In fact, the woman was none other than Marianne vi Britannia, the shining lightning bolt, believed to have died 8 years earlier in a terrorist attack. Noticing their presence, Marianne stood up, greeting them.

"Hi, Lelouch ... I see you have become a splendid boy."

"M-mother!" He replied, stunned.

"Hello to you too, Cornelia… We haven't seen each other for eight years. How are you?"

Cornelia could not answer, too surprised by that apparition.

So our father had told the truth ...

He think.

After the initial bewilderment, Lelouch said:

"First I want to make sure you really are my mother!"

The woman did not flinch.

"Go ahead."

"What was the knightmare you piloted?"

"A Ganymede, model number YF6-X7K / E."

"What role did you play in the Knights of round?"

"I was the knight of six ... And soon I'll be back."

"Your favorite color?"

"Blue."

"What is your passion?"

"Classical music, I find it relaxing and enchanting."

"What did you order me that day eight years ago?" Cornelia interjected.

"To recall my escort."

"So it's really you ..."

"Yeah. Who did you want me to be, Elizabeth III?"

"So that's it ... You simulated your death and then you ran away to hide who knows where ... Why?" Her son asked her.

"I was forced, son ... Because of my middle-class origins the other princesses despised me and I feared that from one day to the next they might attack my life. For this, with the consent of your father, I decided to disappear. "

"And why did you decide to show up just now? Why haven't you tried to contact us up to now? "

"I thought you died during the invasion of Japan."

"You could have told me, explained your plan!"

"No, Cornelia. The fewer people knew, the better. You could have betrayed yourself with someone. "

"Did you know that Nunnally and I were exiled to Japan and you didn't object?"

"It was for your safety! Those who wanted me dead could hit you too! "

"Sure, to send my sister and me to a country that was then invaded and bombed by Britannia! Nice safety! "

"The Kururugi government had decided to stop supplying sakuradite to our homeland, and you know how necessary that mineral is! And Japan owned 70%, do you know what that means? That we risked an energy crisis! So your father had to start the war! "

"In any case, you haven't answered my first question. Why did you decide to show up now? "

"Because your father informed me that you were still alive, and I wanted to meet you."

"And did he also tell you that I'm Zero?"

"Yup. By the way, I'd be curious to know what prompted you to wear that repulsive mask. "

"Didn't he tell you?"

"He wanted you to explain it to me."

"I wanted to identify those responsible for your murder, and create a new world where Nunnally could live happily. But you're alive, and she… "He broke off, looking down.

Marianne was suddenly suspicious, noting her son's behavior.

"You what, Lelouch? What happened to Nunnally? "

I see that he hasn't even informed her of this ...

Thought the boy, annoyed.

"... The aliens killed her." He answered.

"Killed? When? Such as?" His mother asked, obviously surprised.

"During the early stages of the invasion ... I only know this. Our classmates at Ashford High fled, abandoning her. "

Marianne's face darkened, taking on an expression between pain and anger.

"And you, Lelouch? Where were you while those creatures butchered your sister? "

"I was headed for Kyushu, with my followers."

"To help the Japanese government in exile and the forces of the Chinese Federation?"

"To destroy the first and drive out the second."

Both Marianne and Cornelia looked at him in perplexity.

"I don't understand ... If your goal was to fight Britannia, wouldn't it have been easier to join them?" The first asked.

"I'd also like to know why you wanted to fight them." The second said.

"The government in exile was obeying the Chinese, who surely would have turned Japan into their puppet state. And I wanted the creation of a fully independent Japan, or to be precise, a new Japan, since restoring the old one was unthinkable. "

"What name would you have given this new nation?" His mother asked him.

"United States of Japan."

"United States ... This name is not new to me."

"The Washington Rebellion, Mother. Do you understand now? "

Marianne initially did not understand, then said:

"Of course, the failed 13 colonies uprising in the 18th century ... You were inspired by that, right?"

"In the United States of Japan there would have been freedom and full equality for all, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or culture."

"But then the aliens came, and your plan went awry."

"Exact. Now the priority is to fight against them, so as to prevent them from taking over the whole Earth. "

"That's why you decided to put aside old grudges."

"Yup. The survival of the human species is more important than ancient disagreements. And then…"

"Then?"

"Now that I know the truth and that the empire has changed for the better, I have no reason to fight it."

Not to mention Nunnally's death, the main reason I wanted to change the world.

Marianne smiled, then suddenly hugged him.

"This is the right spirit, son. You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say this! " She exclaimed happily.

Lelouch blushed, then returned the hug.

"And I'm happy to see you again, mother."

You made the right decision, Lelouch.

Meanwhile Cornelia was thinking happily.

Shortly after, Lelouch and his mother released the embrace.

"From now on you are my guest, and you will stay in my tent." The former prince said.

"I came here on purpose, my son. We have been separated for almost a decade, and now we will make up for lost time. " His mother promised him, winking at him.